92 
MANGOLDS. 
has been recorded as doing harm to Mangolds in Ireland, and in 1884 
specimens were sent to me from Mageney, Co. Clare, of this Beetle, 
which was then eating away the Mangold-leaves down to the stems. 
SlLPHA OPACA. 
1, 2, Young grubs feeding; 3, 4, grubs, differing in shape, somewhat magnified ; 
5, female Beetle, flying ; 6, male Beetle, magnified. 
Up to this year, however (though the Beetle is common here), we 
have no records, as far as I know, of either this Beet Carrion Beetle 
or its maggot being a crop pest in England, and it would be very 
serviceable if we could make out the cause of its appearance in three 
widely separated localities in England, as well as of the greater 
amount of its presence in Ireland. 
The first note of the presence of the attack in England was sent 
me on June 18th by Mr. John H. N. Walford, Ruyton Towers, near 
Shrewsbury, as follows :— 
“ I enclose you some specimens of insects that have entirely eaten 
bare about three acres of Mangolds for me. They eat the young 
plants as soon as they appear above ground, and at the same time have 
destroyed all the annual weeds, which consist largely of chickweed.” 
The specimens sent proved to be grubs of the Beet Carrion Beetle. 
The rounded edges of the first three segments of the larvae, as 
contrasted with the sharp hinder edge of those immediately following, 
were particularly noticeable. A few days later, in reply to my enquiries, 
Mr. Walford mentioned that he was not aware of anything to account 
for the attack. The land, which is light and sandy, had been well 
cultivated in the preceding autumn, and ploughed at the beginning of 
March. No farmyard manure had been used (because it happened 
there was not enough), but the manure applied was entirely artificial 
“bone manure,” a mixture of superphosphate and dissolved bones. 
Both Mangold-seed and manure were procured from the firms usually 
dealt with. 
With regard to safety of other crops put in on the infested ground, 
Mr. Walford wrote further that he had drilled Swede-seed since on the 
